Alpha Centurion is a Roman superhero, who gained his powers from years of extensive alien training after being abducted in the 2nd Century. Due to the unique properties of intergalactic travel, he returned to Earth almost 2,000 years later, and became a resident of Metropolis, where he would meet Superman.
Origins
Added by Mrblonde267Marcus Aelius was a Roman Centurion during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (c. A.D. 117-138). A race of aliens, the Virmiru selected him to learn from their advanced civilization after he was proven as the most worthy prospective Warrior in the Olympics. After over ten years of learning from the Virmiru, he was returned to Earth, where he was supposed to act as a hero on what was then the world's biggest city. Due to the scientific properties of intergalactic travel, he actually found himself over 2,000 years in the future, and to his disappointment, the world's leading city was no longer Rome, but Metropolis. Nonetheless, he became the city's protector, in a world that did not feature a Superman. Already displaced thousands of years from his own time, the Centurion had a very public identity.
Zero Hour
Main article: Zero Hour
The Alpha Centurion originally appeared during Zero Hour as a member of an alternate timeline.[1] He was the sole protector of Metropolis, operating out of what would regularly be LexCorp Tower, and even maintained a steady relationship with Lois Lane. In his timeline, the Metropolis Police Force was an alternate good version of the 100, still featuring such members as Maggie Sawyer and Jim Harper. He met Superman when the two of them teamed up in Centurion's Metropolis against Bloody Mary.[2] He also helped in the battle against Extant and Parallax, although the resulting temporal chaos erased him and his timeline from existence.[3]
Regular Arrival
Eventually, Marcus Aelius showed up in the regular timeline.[4] There was initially tension between him and Superman (especially surrounding Centurion's feelings for Lois Lane), and the two of them were frequently at odds. The Alpha Centurion joined forces with the Contessa, who was at that time in charge of LexCorp while Lex Luthor was in hiding. He was put in charge of Team Luthor, which he renamed and remodeled after himself, calling them the "Centurions". When Superman was put on trial in front of an alien tribunal, the Centurion recruited Superboy, Supergirl, the Eradicator and Steel to rescue him. He had a brief falling out with the others, since they mistakenly believed for a time that he was the Cyborg Superman in disguise. After arriving back on Earth, he was publicly embarrassed by Lex Luthor[5] and quit Team Luthor before leaving Metropolis.[6] Alpha Centurion was last seen in Washington D.C.